WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Sixty-fifth session Manila, Philippines 13–17 October 2014 Agenda item 15
WPR/RC65/NGO/5 15 October 2014 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
STATEMENT BY THE CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL, WORLD OBESITY FEDERATION, WORLD CANCER RESEARCH FUND INTERNATIONAL, CONSUMER COUNCIL OF FIJI AND DIABETES FIJI Consumers International, World Obesity Federation World Cancer Research Fund International, Consumer Council of Fiji and Diabetes Fiji welcome the ongoing development of an Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the Western Pacific Region 2015–2020 The expansion in markets by food manufacturers, retail chains and transnational food-service operators has affected the availability, affordability, accessibility and diversity of food products, as well as the way they are promoted. Processed foods, often high in salt/sodium, sugar and fats already dominate diets and nutrient patterns in many countries. In light of this, we especially support objective 3 in the current draft of the Action Plan, which recommends that countries strengthen and enforce legal frameworks that protect, promote and support healthy diets. Population based measures including the protection of children from marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages, the development of interpretative front of pack nutrition labelling, the regulation of nutrition and health claims, and government-led reformulating of processed foods need to be consistently implemented as a package in order to reverse the tide of diet-related NCDs. We suggest that member states also consider inclusion, within the plan, of the use of economic, fiscal, planning and licensing measures to address the affordability and availability of food. We urge member states to work together in the development of legal instruments which can ensure consistent implementation of policies and which should limit industry interference with policy development and implementation. We also urge member states to consider supporting a Global Convention to Protect and Promote Healthy Diets. Tackling these drivers of disease will require political courage, and a Global Convention can help member states, particularly smaller nations, to maintain a robust defence of public health